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Sea salt and brandy truffles

Truffles and Christmas go together like Batman and Robin. Or peanut butter and jam. Or gin, tonic and sunshine. They’re the perfect treat to have around the house over the Christmas holidays, but they also make a lovely present for someone special, and they’re surprisingly straightforward to make (once you master the rolling!). Even better, they can be customised so that they are totally unique to you. I think the flavourings in these ones work particularly well with dark chocolate, with a hit of festive brandy and the odd burst of sea salt, but orange zest and Cointreau would be gorgeous, as would coconut-rum truffles rolled in desiccated coconut, or even sea salt and peanut butter truffles.Ingredients (makes about 20-25 truffles)
150g dark chocolate (at least 70% cocoa solids)
150ml double cream
25g butter
Pinch of sea salt flakes
Brandy
Cocoa powder

Method
1. Finely chop the dark chocolate into as small pieces as you can – you could also pop it in a food processor if you have one.
Tip into a large bowl.
2. Heat the cream until it just begins to simmer. Remove from the heat and add the butter, stirring until it has melted.
3. Slowly pour the cream and butter over the chocolate, whisking continually until you have a smooth mixture.
4. Add a generous pinch of sea salt, and enough brandy to taste. To be honest, my first batch didn’t quite have the hit of Christmas booze that I was hoping for (I had used 4 tsp of brandy) – the alcohol flavour was too subtle, so next time I’ll add at least 6 tsp. However, you can adjust this entirely to your own preference – taste after adding each tsp since you can always add more but you can’t take it back out!
5. Chill in the fridge overnight until the mixture is solid. Sieve a few dessert spoons of coca powder onto a large plate (you do need to sieve it as cocoa powder tends to have a few lumps in it) and get another large plate ready for the truffles.
6. Now comes the hardest part, since the truffle mixture can seem really difficult to work with. The trick is to have your hands as cold as possible! Believe me, it’s a revelation. I was running my hands under cold water in between every one or two truffles and they rolled up so much easier. Use a teaspoon to break up the chocolate and then roll a small amount of mixture into a rough ball.
7. Roll the truffles in cocoa powder (or icing sugar, or chocolate sprinkles, or desiccated coconut, or finely chopped pistachios…) and place on a clean plate. Chill in the fridge until ready to serve.
These can be stored in the fridge for a good 3-5 days (or even longer in the freezer), or box them up and proudly present them to their recipient. Serve in the afternoon for unexpected guests or after dinner with a strong coffee.
I hope you all enjoy the next week of festive fun…only 6 sleeps til Christmas!